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GENERAL FREMONT; 



INJUSTICE DONE HIM 



BY 



Politicians and Envious Military Men. 



GENERAL FREMONT, 



THE INJUSTICE DONE HIM 



POLITICIANS AND ENVIOUS MILITARY MEN. 



BY W;'^BEOTHERHEAD, 



AUTHOR OF THE BOOK OF THE SIGNERS, ETC. 




PHILADELPHIA: 
W. BROTHERHEAD, 213 SOUTH EIGHTH STREET. 

1862. 



GENERAL FREMONT, 



INJUSTICE DONE HIM BY POLITICIANS, AND 
ENVIOUS MILITARY MEN. 



The writer of the following remarks on Gen. Fremont, has never seen 
him, nor corresponded in any manner with him, or any of his military 
friends. This offering is made at the altar of truth and patriotism, in 
behalf of a man who has suffered silently and nobly in a cause worthy 
of the highest admiration and respect. The history of the revolutions 
of the world, shows us that in nearly every case a great man has arisen, 
who has been the leader, and through his influence the revolution has 
progressed. This revolution in many respects has no parallel. The 
South which rebels, has not produced either a Cromwell or a Napoleon ; 
intellect in the aggregate governs; not one mind seems to tower above 
another and bend all things to its will. In the absence of powers like 
those that a Cromwell possessed, when he overthrew Charles; or the 
cruel tyranny of a Robespierre that made dark the page of history with 
blood; or the matchless genius of a Napoleon that made Europe bow to 
his mandates; no revolution as gigantic as this can succeed. There 
must be a mind that has the power to grasp all causes that are operating 
and floating about the chaotic political atmosphere ; and it must have 
power to mould and form everything to its wants; and a power above 
all to execute quick and brilliant deeds. Such a mind must stand out 
in bold relief. The people will always look to it as the benighted sailor 
does to the North Star, when he has lost his compass in the midst of 
the vasty deep; in it all hope should be centered; and obedience to its 
commands will always follow. 

Such a man has not yet showed himself on either the Federal side, 
or the Rebel side. JefFDavis though at the head of the Rebels form- 
ally, it is well known that he was ^not the originator of the Rebellion ; 
but only a follower at the call of South Carolina. Though he is a 
shrewd cunning man, lacks talents requisite to become a popular leader. 
His messages are witten in a terse and business-like style ; yet they lack 



soul, unction, the power that takes captive the sympathies of a nation. 
The pt'0|)le of the South are brave and chivah-ous; but being without a 
leader in whom they have all confidence and would follow to the death, 
they are likely to fall, and very soon, before a foe worthy of their steel, 
and fly anywhere for safety. But while the South are fighting without 
a leader equal for the occasion, we in the North are more deficient than 
the South. Our President is a plain, honest, unostentatious man, and 
never expected to be drawn from the rural haunts of Springfield. If 
honesty and integrity will see this Rebellion put down. President 
Lincoln will succeed in a high degree. But while we admire such 
good qualities we are free to confess that they will not carry us through 
this Rebellion alone. 

We must not only have an honest man that tries to do all he can for 
the good of the country; but we must have a man placed and retained 
in such a position as Major General Fremont was, when in command 
of the Missouri Department; who not only follows public opinion, but 
initiates public policy as he has done so far nobly and well. 

When Gen. Fremont took the command of the Department of the 
West, it is well known everything was in a chaotic state. Floyd and 
the other thieves had managed to steal all our arms — our ships were in 
distant seas — a great portion of our too small army were at Utah and 
California. The traitor Gen. Twiggs, broke up our army in Texas. 
The South having most of the officers in both Army and Navy, demoral- 
ized both by resignations, and in many cases, attempted to influence 
others who were loyal, and producing a state of aflfairs never equaled 
under the circumstances. When this state of affairs is considered, and also 
our disaster at Bull's Run, caused in a great degree by the mistaken or 
misunderstood policy of Gen. Patterson; how marvelous it now seems 
that an organized army of over 600,000 should have arisen of such a 
chaotic mass in such a short time as nine months! When Gen. Fre- 
mont took possession of the Western Department, he had no arms for his 
men, none for a time could be bought at any price, but they commenced 
to come in slowly from Europe — men were engaged in selling them 
who had more selfishness than patriotism— but arms must be had for 
Fremont's army, the city of St. Louis was in danger, and for it to be in 
possession of the Rebels, it would virtually have lost us the Union, or, 
if not lost it, it would cost additional millions of dollars to have been re- 
captured. Fremont saw this; he knew the cost of arms in Europe; 
he had only just arrived from there and had made some purchases for 
the Government; but he saw two evils, either arms must be had at any 
price, or St. Louis would be lost. Which of the two evils were to be 



avoided. He chose the less, St. Louis must be saved at any price ; the 
arms were bought at no great advance after all in prices; the army be- 
gan to assume an organization; he built barracks, organized his army, 
built fortifications around St. Louis so that a few men could defend it 
when it was tine to move the Grand Army. He issued contracts to 
build iron-clad gun boats, and a new style of mortar boats was de- 
signed by him; all these contracts were to be done by the first of De- 
cember, ready to move the Grand Army down the Mississippi, Tennes- 
see and Cumberland rivers. What was to be done in the meantime.^ 
The brave Lyon and skillful Siegel had gone to Springfield to protect 
the Union people from the attacks of the marauding Gen. Price. Our 
brave little army attacked Price's army, which outnumbered ours four 
to one, and Lyon fell a victim to the Union cause. Here on this point 
has been a great deal of discussion, Fremont has been and is yet freely 
censured for the death of Lyon; but in absence of Fremont's vindication, 
all that at present can be said, is, that only a fiew days ago the Commit- 
tee for the investigation of the charges against Gen. Fremont, of which 
Senator Benjamin Wade, of Ohio, was Chairman, represented to Secre- 
tary Stanton, that not a single charge had been proven against him, and 
also that they demonstrated to him that the original plans of Fremont 
were to send expeditions on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, 
make his way down to Memphis, open the cotton ports and afterwards 
go down the Mississippi to New Orleans. 

Such a statement from such a high source is certainly worthy of far 
more credence than the lies and gossip of newspapers who have left no 
means untried to defame Fremont's character. This same statement 
also destroys the allegations made against him in relation to Col. Mulli- 
gan's surrender at Lexington. Having replied as we think satisfactorily 
to the charges of Lyon's death and Mulligan's surrender, so far at least 
as evidence has been printed, we now come to him when he takes the 
field in person to destroy Price's army. The fortifications at St. Louis 
were progressing satisfactorily — it would be some months before the 
gun boats and mortar boats would be ready; in the meantime Price 
was overrunning the prairies and driving the Union men away, destroy- 
ing their property and their lives. Gen. Fremont, who is a man of action 
and who will hurt somebody if 4hey do not move on — saw that some- 
thing must be done to relieve our people— determined at once that he 
would march in person with 30,000 men and drive Price out of Missouri 
and disband his Rebel Army. The matter was no sooner decided on 
than action commenced; at once Gens. Siegel, Asboth, Hunter, Sturgis, 
and McKinstry, were each ordered to report themselves and be ready 



for action. The different divisions were organized, Fremoni's body 
guard wiiich numbered 400 men at the head of which was the brave 
Major Zagonyi. Instructions were given to each General as to the route 
he was to take, and concentrate as nearly as possible at one time at 
Springfield. The march was onward and no fighting of any kind took 
place until the body guard of Fremont got within a short distance of 
Springfield. In the meantime the political enemies of Fremont began 
to see that he had thrown red tape aside and was evidently bent on mis- 
chief to the enemy. F. Blair and his coteries began to bring charges of 
incompetency against him, they charged him withexclusiveness, and not 
being able to gain admission to him on business — being ignorant at the 
time that Gen. McClellan and in fact other Generals were of necessity 
as exclusive. They stated that his body guard were made up of pomp- 
osity and show, and that he was spending millions of dollars uselessly. 
They accused his body guard of being made up of broken down poli- 
ticians, who were robbing the government as contractors, and charged 
with being anything but fighting men. This body guard was satirized 
by F. Blair & Co., they being ignorant at that time that Gen. McClellan 
would be subject to the same censure. The hue and cry became so fierce 
against Fremont that the government sent out Secretary Cameron and 
Gen. Thomas to see what truth existed in the reports. 

Gen. Thomas in the absence of Fremont, collected one of the most 
ex parte statements ever made against any man. He seemed determined 
to rake up all the slum of St. Louis, in the shape of Rebels and disap- 
pointed contractors, who could not get a chance to rob the government. 
He took their testimony and never questioned its truth, nor the motives 
which influenced the relators. He even was so imprudent as to solicit 
Gen. Hunter, who was then under Fremont, to give evidence against 
his superior. And he. Hunter, charged Fremont with military incapa- 
city. For such a course as influencing or even taking the evidence of 
Gen. Hunter against his superior in the manner he did. Gen. Thomas 
deserved a court martial ; and by military law he should have one. 
The most serious charges against Fremont's department, in relation to 
contractors, were positively and flatly denied by the persons whose 
names were mentioned. The unfair and ungenerous manner of attack 
which Gen. Thomas adopted, is on a par with the midnight assassin 
who stabs you in the dark, only it is worse in this case, because it pre- 
vented a fatal blow being struck at Price, and which afterwards was the 
cause of hundreds of deaths taking place through the agency of Rebels, 
and millions of dollars being spent; because Fremont was recalled 
when he was on the eve of destroying Price's army. 

Suffice it to say that Blair & Co., and his political rats, and Thomas 



as an envious West Pointer, succeeded in having Fremont recalled. 
Let us now go back again to Springfield, where Fremont and his gallant 
army had arrived. Gen. Hunter said it was impossible for Fremont to 
carry his army from Tipton to Springfield, but he did ; he crossed 
mountains and valleys, forded the Osage, which it was said was im- 
passible, and he was with all the generals of the different divisions, 
waiting for Hunter to attack Price, who was at Wilson's Creek, a dis- 
tance of 12 miles. The pickets were in sight of each other, and had 
Gen. Hunter made the same exertions with his division as the others 
had done. Price's army it is but fair to surmise would have been dis- 
banded. While waiting for Hunter to arrive, Fremont received his 
recall; he immediately called together his oflScers and laid the matter 
before them. His command was to be given up to Hunter, he had not 
arrived, and it was concluded as Hunter was not there to take the com- 
mand, that Price should be attacked in the morning. The council of 
war dissolved with jubilant faces, expecting that morning would lead 
them on to victory or death. But alas ! that ominous Hunter who is 
now killing Gen. Jim Lane, arrived, and Gen. Fremont, obedient to the 
orders of his chief, gave up his command to Gen. Hunter, amid the mur- 
murs and incensed grief of 30,000 soldiers who idolized Fremont for 
his bravery and energetic action. Such an eflTect did it produce on the 
soldiers that for a long time trouble was anticipated, but Fremont allayed 
the excitement by telling them obedience was the first duty of a soldier. 
There can be no doubt if at this critical juncture he had been the am- 
bitious demagogue, as Blair & Co. asserted, Fremont could have had 
the soldiers of his department easily arrayed against the government, 
but such a vile and base idea never entered his head, and would not 
enter the head of any true patriot. 

Fremont, after giving up his command, made arrangements to return 
with his celebrated body guard to St. Louis. Here we must pay a 
tribute to one of the most brilliant acts thus far of the War, and it is 
doubtful if it will he equaled, exceled it can not, for courage and bravery. 
It is scarcely necessary to say that we now refer to Maj. Zangonyi's at- 
tack with his fearless 400 men, on 2,000 infantry and 400 cavalry of the 
enemy, and their utter dispersion, and taking of Springfield. This cele- 
brated charge, taking it in all its relations, is without a parellel in its 
execution and eflTects. Great as was the charge at Balaklava, this is 
equal to it in courage and fearless bravery, but had more obstacles to 
overcome before the enemy could be approached. At Balaklava, a fair 
open field laid before the brave English soldier, but at Springfield, the 
brave 400 men was impeded in their glorious march, by fences, houses 



8 

and other obstacles which cut them np into gangs of men, instead ot 
approaching in one solid phalanx. Serious as this breaking up was, and 
a soldier knows its main results only, yet this brave, des[)ised and ma- 
ligned Fremont Body Guard, showed they were worthy of the renown 
of their commander by cutting their way through 2400 soldiers. More 
than one-half was killed and wounded of this brave band of men, and 
there fell victims to the malignity of Blair & Co.! Shame on such men! 
surely when they read of the doings of the ]00 days of Fremont and 
his soldiers their cheeks must burn with shame. But to proceed. Fre- 
mont and his brave and immortal body guard arrived at St. Louis chafed 
and cowered down through the persecutions of their enemies; orders 
came that this brave body guard should be disbanded, they were thrown 
strange as it may seem apparently among Union men, without ])ay, cast 
as it were on a desolate world and pointed at by the finger of scorn be- 
cause they were Fremont's Body Guard; and all this they suffered after 
one of the most brilliant cavalry charges on record!! Ingratitude how 
cold, how cruel! in the language of the Bard of Avon: 

" Blow, blow, thou winter wind, 
Thou art not so unkind 
As man's ingratitude. 
Thy tooth is not so keen. 
Because thou art not seen, 
Although thy breath be rude." 

All that is now left of this brave body of men is their fame, which 
will never die. 

Fremont at this time had much to arrange; in the meantime his gal- 
lant army returned with Gen. Hunter to Rollo, and left all the country 
between there and Springfield, which was shortly overrun again by the 
hordes of Price. It is here necessary to state the precise condition of 
Fremont's army, when he was recalled. Fremont by his military 
genius pressed Price into a corner in Cass county, and he had him in a 
triangle from which it was impossible for him to escape without a fight, 
and which would have ended the prowling in Missouri. In the mean- 
time Fremont sent Gen. Smith to occupy Paducah, and the whole of the 
Cumberland and Tennessee rivers came within his plans. After a short 
period Gen. Halleck took the conunand from Gen. Hunter, he being 
transferred to the Department of Kansas. 

Gen. Fremont before he was ordered to Washington showed Gen. 
Halleck his plan8,and the sequel will prove— nay it now proves— that Gen. 
Halleck is only carrying out what Fremont originated. Gen. Fremont 
left St. Louis for Washington, and so great was the joy at his passing 
through the various cities that great preparations were made to honor 



him^Cinciniiati and New York especially had made splendid arrange- 
ments, but as Blair & Co., called him an ambitious demagogue — mark 
how he acted. He sent word in advance that he desired his friends not 
to make any display — he was now accused of mismanagement and other 
things — let all rest for awhile — he was now going to Washington where 
the matter would be properly investigated and he was ready to wait for 
the result — yes 

•' Innocence shall make 
False accusation blush, and tyranny 
Tremble at patience." 

Truly no patriot of any age ever showed more self-abnegation than Fre- 
mont did in this instance. We have now arrived at a period when we 
can take a' retrospect of what Gen. Halleck has done and what he is 
now doing. After Gen. Halleck had become initiated into the depart- 
ment — he ordered Gen. Curtis with several divisions to again march on 
to Springfield and go over the same ground and attack Price in the same 
place as Fremont intended four months before, whom Blair & Co. and 
Gen. Thomas caused to be recalled when he was on the eve of striking a 
successful blow. These are facts ; none can for a moment doubt the pre- 
sent situation of Curtis and his men is a confirmation of Fremont's 
wisdom and foresight. 

These plans, it must be remembered, were made when Gen. Scott 
was Commander-in-Chief, they must have met his approval it is but fair 
to conclude; when Scott resigned and McClellan took command, these 
very same plans must have met his approbation or Gen. Halleck would 
not have carried them out. 'i he ordering of Gen. Smith to occupy 
Paducah, was also done before Gen. McClellan took chief command, 
and Fremont satisfied the Committee of Investigation, the other day, 
that his plans were six months ago, what are now being carried out by 
Generals Buell and Halleck, in taking Nashville and Memphis. So sat- 
isfied was the Committee of this, that the newspapers told us a week 
ago that the Committee, of whom Senator Ben. Wade cf Ohio, was one, 
that the plans which were now being carried out, were originally Fre- 
mont's, that they considered he ought to be placed in command of the 
Potomac. Secretary Stanton told the Committee that he should be 
placed in a fighting position. Thus far the military strategy and fore- 
sight of Fremont has been confirmed by Generals Scott, McClellan, 
Halleck and Buell, and is now being developed to the satisfaction of all 
Union men, in recently taking Forts Henry and Donelson, and will be 
more developed in a few days at Nashville and Memphis. 



10 



PUBLIC POLICY. 

We have but a few words to say on his. Public Policy. The Procla- 
mation which Fremont issued out when he first took the command in 
St. Louis, in relation to Slaves, was, it must be confessed, in advance of 
the Law at that time, and which President Lincoln ordered to be modi- 
fied. But the action taken in the present Congress goes even further 
than Fremont desired in his proclamation, and as such, is only a proof 
that he was as far in advance in his views of Public Policy as he was 
correct in his military strategy. 

The development of the progress of the age and the exigencies which 
this atrocious Rebellion is bringing out will before many months elapse, 
so mould public opinion that the course which Gen. Fremont would 
pursue if he was able, would meet with a ready assent from millions of 
his countrymen. 

President Lincoln could not reflect higher credit upon himself by any 
one act than by placing Fremont at the head of the Union Forces, he 
would further do honor to the Nation by his military strategy and fore- 
sight in Public Policy. 



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